C'EST TRÈS CHIC

Thursday, February 21, 2013

When it was announced last Spring that Raf Simons would be
leaving Jil Sander for Dior, many of us couldn’t wait to see what the talented
Belgian designer would bring to the table… after all, he had some controversial
albeit big shoes to fill! After a fabulously successful haute couture
collection for the autumn/winter 2012 season (Raf Simons’ first stab at haute
couture!), Dior seemed to get back into its groove with sales that rose by 24
percent for the year. Now, to celebrate his first Ready-to-wear collection for
Dior, the highly-esteemed fashion house has launched a pop-up project in seven
boutiques around the world: IT in Beijing, Joyce in Hong Kong, My Boon in
Seoul, 10 Corso Como in Milan, Jeffrey in New York, Maxfield in Los Angeles and
Colette in Paris. All of the shops will host exclusive, customized launch
parties showcasing the looks from the collection and featuring window displays
inspired by Raf Simons’ last show in Paris this past October.

Tonight marks the
first of the pop-up project openings at the 10 Corso Como concept store in
Milan promising “a virtual experience that will guide you through the exciting
launch of Raf Simons’ debut collection.” Interested? Follow Chiara Ferragni,
mega fashion blogger behind The Blonde Salad, as she covers the opening of the
pop-up boutique on her website and shares details of the exclusive cocktail
launch party with her readers.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Living in a big city, one can quickly learn to value the
comfort of the flat shoe. Paris in particular is simply not your sky-high pair
of stiletto’s best friend… We’re talking cobblestone streets, crowded
sidewalks, surprise dog poo, puddles on puddles, and the occasional extra long-walk home at 2am when the
metro is closed, your bus is no longer running, and there seem to be no
available taxis left on this planet. So what to do when all odds are against
you but you’re still not willing to sacrifice style?

Enter Chatelles, the
Parisian brand of chic and comfortable flats for women.

Launched in August
2012, Chatelles began as a love story. Helplessly in love with a girl, François
offered her a pair of slippers he designed with a verse by Victor Hugo embossed
in the inner sole of each flat – put the pair together and you have the words:
“Je ne puis demeurer… loin de tois plus
longtemps.” Or en anglais: “I cannot
remain… far away from you any longer.”

His charming gesture may not have been requited, but it did
inspire him to turn his broken heart into a budding shoe business! Hand-made in
Portugal, Chatelles offers a lovely selection of quality, customizable slippers
available in a variety of colors and materials. Add your own initials or a pair
of colorful tassels and voilà – your
Chatelles are truly your very own.

Phillip Lim killed it
yesterday with his Fall/Winter 2013 ready-to-wear collection show in New York.
In contrast with the fun, sporty, colorful looks he sent down the runway for
Spring, the Fall collection displayed an edgier side of the coveted label.
Lim’s affinity for clean, structured pieces is still at play here, but overall
the modern Philip Lim girl is effortlessly tough – a badass biker chick if you
will. That being said, you can expect some of the usual staples, such as the
slouchy trouser, back for Fall, but in new fabrics like leather and jersey and
significantly darker colors. A major highlight of the collection is definitely
the outerwear - shearling coats and lust-worthy leather vests and jackets were
layered over nearly every look. Not to mention some amazing knee-high leather
boots paired with skirts and dresses. Don’t get me wrong, I’m terribly excited
for Spring and Summer weather, but in the case of Phillip Lim… can it be Fall
yet?!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Today marked the much
anticipated launch of leading online retailer Net-a-Porter’s fashion magazine, The
Edit. The weekly virtual magazine will bring readers all of “the must-wear
trends and game changing pieces, exclusive interviews, insider beauty
knowledge, and cultural must-sees” and is only phase one of the company’s major
print and digital magazine project set to be published this Fall. To kick
things off, the first issue centers on supermodel and philanthropist Natalia
Vodianova modeling some of Spring’s freshest new looks and features an in-depth
interview with Yana Peel, CEO of global debating forum, Intelligence Squared.
Equal parts fashion and intellect, The Edit will soon be available in
five languages catering to stylish women everywhere.

As a company, Net-a-Porter
has accomplished serious horizontal integration in bringing the entire world of
luxury women’s fashion together under one domain. Combining online retail with
television, a weekly virtual magazine, newsletter, smart phone app, and various
collaborations with major bloggers and icons of the industry, Net-a-Porter is
your one-stop shop for a guaranteed informative and interactive fashion
experience. Now, readers of The Edit will be able to take advantage of
some serious (and free!) fashion advice, be inspired by its stories and
interviews with powerful women, and shop the site directly from its expertly
styled pages. Who could ask for more?

Can’t wait to get your
hands on a printed version of The Edit? Check out Net-a-Porter’s Collections
Special, a temporary print mag that compliments all the goodies you’ll find
in the online magazine. The first one will be mailed out next week so sign up
for your copy now!